By: Justine Anne Gaerlan
At just 15 years old, Xyz Rayco is already holding her own against players several years older than her, emerging as one of the brightest young stars of the UAAP Season 89 High School Girls’ Volleyball Tournament and an unlikely frontrunner in the race for the Most Valuable Player award.
The National University-Nazareth School rookie outside hitter from Agusan del Norte has wasted little time making her presence felt, proving that age is hardly a hindrance as she takes on considerably more experienced competition in the 19-and-under tournament.
Rayco currently ranks third among the tournament’s Best Scorers with 121 points, built on 84 attacks, 12 blocks, and 25 service aces through the elimination round.
By the end of the first round, she had also topped the statistical points race with 235.909, comfortably ahead of FEU’s Nigerian spiker Ifnanya Udeagbala, who tallied 177.727.
She has delivered seven double-digit scoring performances in nine appearances, highlighted by a 20-point explosion in her UAAP debut against Adamson University. Rayco also scored 16 points against the University of Santo Tomas and 15 against the University of the East, consistently serving as the primary offensive weapon for the back-to-back champions.
“Actually, first time ko po talaga maglaro sa UAAP and iba po talaga ‘yung feeling na makapaglaro po dito kasi marami pong bata na nangangarap and happy po ako na isa ako sa parang candidate ng MVP,” said Rayco.
Despite her impressive individual production, the 5-foot-10 spiker admitted that becoming one of the leading contenders for the MVP award was never something she envisioned heading into her first UAAP campaign.
(C) UAAP Season 89 Media Team
“’Di ko po in-expect. Para sa akin naman po, ginagawa ko lang talaga ‘yung best ko every game, ‘yung mga tinuturo po ng coaches and ‘di ko rin po talaga in-expect na magiging one of the finalists sa MVP,” Rayco said.
“Happy po ako kasi nag-work po ‘yung mga pinagtrabahuhan ko.”
Yet, beyond the impressive numbers, what makes Rayco’s campaign particularly remarkable is the maturity she has displayed while competing against older and more experienced players.
“Siyempre, parang may kaba… I mean like nilalaro ko naman ‘yung laro ko lang po, kung sino po ako ganun, kahit sino man makakatapat ko, same age man or hindi, ginagawa ko lang po ‘yung mga dapat kong trabahuhin,” she shared.
“Parang nakakalaban ko po mga matured na po talaga naglalaro and syempre sa isip ko po, ‘di ako magpapa-apekto na bata pa lang po ako. Kailangan ko rin po na maging matapang or matatag and maging mature din po ako.”
That mindset has allowed Rayco to remain composed despite being among the youngest players on the court, an important quality as she continues to establish herself in one of the country’s premier high school volleyball programs.
While Season 89 marks her first appearance in the UAAP, Rayco is no stranger to high-level competition, having already represented the Philippines in the FIVB Girls’ U17 World Championship.
She finished the international tournament with 98 points across nine matches, averaging 10.89 points per game. Her best outing came against Venezuela during the preliminary phase, where she erupted for 19 points.
“Even though same age po kami, iba po talaga ‘yung skills nila doon,” said Rayco. “ Marami po akong nakuhang lessons, siyempre, sa pressure rin po, kung paano ko i-handle ang sarili ko lang po.”
(C) UAAP Season 89 Media Team
The experience allowed the young spiker to measure herself against some of the best players in her age group while learning valuable lessons about handling pressure and adjusting to different levels of competition. Those lessons have since become useful as she takes on older opponents in the UAAP.
Her development has also coincided with another dominant campaign for the Lady Bullpups, who remain unbeaten through nine games in the elimination round.
NUNS dropped just one set in its opening assignment against the Lady Baby Falcons before sweeping every opponent since, continuing its charge toward a third consecutive championship.
For Rayco, however, the pursuit of a three-peat comes with its own set of expectations. She recognizes the responsibility of wearing the NUNS jersey but credits her seniors for helping younger members like her navigate the pressure of defending their crown.
“Meron pressure po para sa akin. May kailangan po naming defend na title which is kailangan naming mag-repeat po this season. Pero ‘yung pressure naman po… andyan naman po ‘yung coaches tsaka ‘yung mga seniors namin,” she said.
“And sinasabi naman po ng seniors namin na ilagay raw po namin ‘yung pressures sa kanila. Kaya parang gina-guide din naman po nila ako kung paano rin po i-handle ‘yung pressure sa loob ng court.”
Among the players Rayco looks up to is former UAAP standout and Philippine volleyball star Alyssa Valdez, whose influence on the young spiker goes beyond her abilities on the court.
“Si Alyssa Valdez po. Kasi like parang the way po siya maglaro and the way na humble po siya. The way po siya na mabait po sa mga tao, ganun. Like ni-look up ko rin po ‘yung mga skills na meron siya,” Rayco said.
It is a combination of qualities that Rayco hopes to emulate as she continues to develop her game and grow into her role with the Lady Bullpups.
For the remainder of the season, however, her priorities remain firmly centered on the team’s championship aspirations and its continued improvement as a unit.
“’Yung three-peat lang po talaga ‘yung fino-focus namin. And siguro po… sa mga games po namin na mas magiging ano po kami, composed,” she said.
“And ‘yung teamwork po namin. Like, dine-dream ko po na sa mga games po namin na talaga mapakita po namin ‘yung best even though, for example, like matalo man po pero, pinapakita po namin ‘yung best namin pero ‘di po kami papatalo.”
Having finally earned the opportunity to compete in the UAAP, Rayco is making every moment count.
At 15, she has already established herself as one of the tournament’s most productive players and an unexpected contender for its highest individual honor.
But while the prospect of an MVP award adds another layer to her breakthrough campaign, Rayco’s biggest ambition remains unchanged: helping the Lady Bullpups complete their three-peat.
